CREDIT: Archaia / BOOM! Studios
Rating: 4/5 – Fantasy Worthy of Jim Henson’s Name.
by ComicSpectrum Reviewer David Akers.
I’m a fan of Jim Henson and his work. No, that’s an understatement. I’m an uber-fan. I have seen everything I could find that he had a hand in creating, and I’ve loved it all. And as much as I love the Muppets, with their chaotic anarchy, it was in his Storyteller series where I think I really learned what Henson wanted to do with his art. Using acting, puppetry, and computer animation, the series was a charming introduction to German, English, and Russian folk tales, and later to Greek myths. This first issue captures the charm of that series perfectly.
Written and drawn by S. M. Vidaurri, this family-friendly story tells the tale, as fables often do, of a princess, her father and brother, a witch, and the Lord of the Forest. Oh, and there’s a magic swan goose. The princess searches for a way to prevent a curse from falling on her brother following the deaths of her parents. And it’s marvelous. That’s not to say that it’s a perfect story. I had some difficulty at the very beginning in figuring out what was happening in the story, and thought the tempo is a bit uneven. With the setup taking the first half of the book, the journey the princess goes through seemed short and rushed, but overall it was a very satisfying read.
Told in what are essentially splash pages, each panel reminded me of tapestries, telling the epic saga of the princess’ travels. There is so much style here, including the fabulous way the text was used to both tell the story and become an element of the art. The entire package came together to create a unique storytelling experience. The style carried me through the tale and at the end I wanted to read it again. I think Jim Henson would be proud.
Reviewed by: David Akers
(david@comicspectrum.com) – also found at www.davidakers.com
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